Fire-escape.



No. 820,241. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906 D. M. MQOATHIB & W. R. & N. B. GAIN.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1905.

"unrrnn srnrns PATENT orrion.

DAVID M. MCGATHIE, WESLEY R. GAlN, AND NAPOLEON B. CAIN, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE MOMENTUM REGU- LATOR, INC.

FIRE-ESCAPE- No. 820,241. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 8, 1906. 4 Application filed August 10, 1905. Serial No. 273.648-

To all whom it may concern: the base 2 of the casing. These guides ex- Be it known that we, DAVID M. MoCA- tend vertically and have their upper and THIE., WESLEY R. CAIN, and NAPOLEON B. lower ends 9 curved outwardly and their cen- CAIN, citizens of the United States, residin tral portions 10 also curved outwardly at opat Port Jervis, in the county of Orange an posite points to form chain-passages between State of New York, have invented certain them and a friction-surface 11, which is in-6o new and useful Improvements in Fire-Esthe form of a projection, provided upon the capes; and we do declare the following to be a base 2 between the guides 8 and comprising a full, clear, and exact description of the invensubstantially circular upper portion 12 and a tion, such as will enable others skilled in the straight lower portion 13. As clearly shown art to which it appertains to make and use in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the chain 7 passes the same. downwardly through the curved passages be- Our invention relates to improvements in tween the guides 8 and the friction block or that class of fire-escapes in which a chain or projection 11, so that it engages the opposite I 5 rope is employed for lowering a person to the faces of its circular portion 12 and is resisted ground, the same being passed through a in its passage by such frictional engagement. 7o

drum or casing secured to the wall of a build- The portions of the guides 8 which project ing or to some fixed object in an apartment beyond the cover 3 are preferably covered of the same and operating an automatic by a plate 14, and the ends of the chain 7 2o brake mechanism, whereby the descent of the project out of the casing beneath this plate,

erson is regulated.

as shown in Fig. 2. Upon each end of the The object of our invention is to improve chain is attached a belt 15, adapted for atand simplify the construction and operation tachment to the body of a person to be lowof devices of this character, and thereby renered from a building, the chain being of such 25 der the same more eflicient and durable in length that when one person descends the use and less expensive to manufacture. belt upon the other end of the chain will be The above and other objects are attained elevated and ready for attachment to the by means of the construction illustrated in next person who is to descend. The chain the accompanying drawings, in which when not in use may be supported in abox, 0 Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a as shown, wound upon a reel or supported in any other manner.

building, showing our improved fire-escape The rotatable shaft 5 is provided within the circular portion of the casing with oppoarranged in position for operation. Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectional view through the device.

sitely-projecting radial arms 16, upon who are slidably mounted weights 17, each of Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the. 355 plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig.

which is of substantially semicircular form.

Said weights are loosely connected together 4 is a detail perspective view of the weight,

and caused to move simultaneously toward and Fig. 5 1s a detail view showing a modifie form of guide and friction devicefor the chain.

' and from each other and the shaft 5 by a pair of crossed links or levers 18. These levers Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1

cross each other and are formed at their cen- 5 ters with alining openings through which the 4o denotes the casing, in which the operating shaft 5 extends, and their outer ends are formed with slots 19, which loosely engage arts of our fire-escape are mainly inclose and which, as shown, is of substantially cylindrical form, consisting of a base 2 and a cover 3. These parts are connected by bolts 45 4, and the base 2 may be secured upon a wall studs 20, provided adjacent to the ends of or other stationary object in any suitable the straight sides of theweights 17. These [00 manner. links or levers 18 are disposed in the recessed Mounted in bearings formed concentricportions 21 of the weights 17, as clearly shown in the drawings. By mounting the weights in this manner it will be seen that they counterbalance each other and will not ally in the circular portions of the base and drop by gravity when the shaft 5 is rotated at a speed not sufficient to throw them out- 50 cover is a shaft 5, upon which is secured a wardly by centrifugal action. When the sprocket-wheel 6. Passing over the sprocketo 5 wheel 6 is a chain 7, which has its ends extending downwardly through guides 8,

which are preferably formed integral upon shaft 5 is rotated at a speed fast enough to an automatic brake for regulating the descent 6o create a centrifiigal force that is greater than of light or heavy persons, as the case may be, the actual weight of the weights 17, they will since the centrifugal tendency of the weights fly outwardly, so that portions of their pe- 17 and their friction with the casing will alripheries will frictionally engage the inner ways correspond to the weight of the person. surface of the cylindrical portion of the cas- The apparatus is simple in construction, ining and serve as a friction-brake to the movevolves no parts likely to get out of order, and ment of the chain 7, and hence to the descent all eing constructed of metal is exceedingly of a person upon one of its ends; but when durable.

the shaft 5 is rotated slowly the weight will Various changes in the form, proportion,

be supported on the shaft and out of contact and the minor details of construction may be 7o with the casing, since the links or levers 18 resorted to without departing from the prin- Will cause them to counterbalance or support ciple or sacrificing any of the advantages of each other. T is permits a much smaller this invention.

load to be lowered by the device than would Having thus describedpur invention, what wlll be increased, so as to relieve the frictionnaled concentrically in said portion, a

be possible were the weights so mounted that we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 7 5 they would drop by gravity into engagement ters Patent, is-

with the casing when the shaft is rotated at a 1. The combination of a casing having a low rate of speed. The slots 23 in the weight friction-surface, a wheel revoluble in said cas- 17, through which the arms 16 project, are ing, a chain engaging said wheel, centrifutapered outwardly to a slight extent, so that gally-acting weights revoluble with the wheel, the weights have a slight tilting movement to coact with the friction-surface of the casupon them for the purpose of increasing the ing to regulate the speed of rotation of the friction between said weights and the casing. wheel, and a pair of crossed levers also revo- Instead of passing the chain 7 through the luble with the wheel and connected to the casing, as previously described, we may weights, for the purpose set forth. mount it, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, 2. The improved fire-escape comprising a so that the friction offered to its movement casing having a circular portion a shaft jourbrake of a greater portion of the work or persprocket-wheel upon said shaft, friction-surmit the latter to be made of lighter construcaces arranged in said casing, a chain engaged 0 tion. Ashere shown, the chain passes around with said surfaces and adapted to travel on the under side of the sprocket-wheel, and then said wheel, a radial arm upon said shaft, and up over the friction projections or blocks 24 a weight of substantially semicircular form 24, and then down between similar friction provided with a slot to receive said arm, said projections or blocks 25 26 27. slot being tapered outwardly to permit said he operation of the device will be readily Weight to have an angular movement thereunderstood. The belt is attached to the peron, whereby a portion of its curved periphery son to be lowered, and as soon as his Weight is adapted to frictionally engage the inner is applied to the chain 7 the latter begins to "wall of said casing, substantially as described. travel rapidly and to rotate the wheel 6 and 3. The combination of a casing having a I00 shaft 5 with corresponding rapidity, whereby circular portion, a shaft rotatably journaled the weights 1? are revolved with the arms 16 therem, a chain passed around sald sprocketand at the same time caused to slide outwheel, oppositely-projecting radial arms upon wardly by centrifugal action, so as to come said shaft, sliding weights upon said arms, into frictional engagement with the inner and a pair of crossed levers pivotally mountside of the casing. It will be seen that the ed upon said shaft and having their ends farther the weights are from .the center of lo loosely connected to said weights, substantation the greater the leverage or power retially as described.

quired to rotate it and the greater the rapidn testimony whereof we have hereunto set ity of rotation the greater will be the centrifour hands in presence of two subscribing wit- I I0 ugal action, and hence the higher will be the nesses.

degree of friction with the casin Thus the weights serve for two purposes as an effective brake for regulating the rapidity of rota- NAPOLEON B OA'IN- of travel of the chain 7 over the same, and WVitnesses: the descent of the person to the ground. In OHARLEs W. BIsHoP, brief, this apparatus acts most efiiciently as JAMES BULEY. 

